The Falmouth Connection is a breath-taking love story that begins with Darcy’s visit to the Hunsford Parsonage a few days before he intends to propose to Elizabeth.

During this visit, Mr. Darcy discovers Elizabeth is to leave Kent the next day to join her family in Cornwall, and visit a mysterious great aunt. He offers to assist Elizabeth in her travel, and Col. Fitzwilliam, finding this strange, is able to get Darcy to admit he intends to ask for Miss Elizabeth’s hand. It is during this confession that Col. Fitzwilliam discovers how Darcy could ruin everything if he were to propose with his current mind set, and tries to make him see how Elizabeth would react to such a proposal. I liked this turn of events as it prevented Mr. Darcy from ruining his proposal without changing him in essentials.

Elizabeth agrees to travel with Mr. Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam and during the carriage ride she is able to see, for the first time, multitude facets of Mr. Darcy, which is something I always find delightful. I love to read a book that allows me to understand how, why and when Elizabeth started to change her mind about Mr. Darcy. For me, as a reader, it is important to know why she loves him or to see her fall in love with him, and that is something we encounter in The Falmouth Connection.

After their voyage, they arrive at Basingstoke to meet with the Bennet family, and Elizabeth finally realizes Mr. Darcy loves her and will most likely propose to her. I must tell you that this scene is one of the best moments I have ever read! I loved every single moment of it; from thinking exactly what Mrs. Starnes wrote, to laughing out loud at the third “good heavens”!

Seeing Elizabeth relieve every moment she shared with Mr. Darcy in a different perspective, and seeing her realize everything that was right in front of her eyes all along, was marvellous. I also loved the chemistry and intimacy of their last scene at the inn in Basingstoke, it is one of those I will hardly forget.

But of course it is too soon for our beloved characters to find their HEA and Elizabeth leaves to Falmouth. Mr. Darcy is so passionately in love with her that he decides to follow her to Cornwall, and it is in this part of the country that we will find romance, broken hearts, a rival for Mr. Darcy, but also adventure, suspense and mystery.

Mrs. Starnes takes this plot into a whole different stage and creates an innovative different story that completely deviates from the original but that keeps the characters as truthful to themselves as Jane Austen wrote them. The book is chaste and clean but overly romantic and emotional with a depth that can only be found in Mrs. Starnes books.

The Falmouth Connection is very focused in Darcy and Elizabeth which is also something I truly love in a book, but some of the other characters were exceptionally written as well.

I don’t think I have enjoyed a scene with Mrs. Bennett so much as the one Joana Starnes wrote on the day Mr. Darcy paid his first visit. I loved reading everything about it. Mrs. Bennett’s reaction to the first unexpected visit was fun to read, but adding the second unexpected visit was brilliant. In this passage we will see Mrs. Bennet’s perspective, and being in her head and seeing the way she constructed her thoughts on the eligibility of her daughters, to see how she contrived the idea that it was Lizzy that would suit Mr. Darcy, and to see that she would aid in their reconcile was absolutely wonderful.

The way this character was described in this scene made me love her for everything that she was, and to have her prattle knowing she was doing so out of an inability to entertain a gentleman such as Mr. Darcy, was magnificent.

The scenes between Darcy and Elizabeth are electrical. Joana Starnes surely knows how to transmit their chemistry into the pages of her novels, and this was no exception. Between the encounter in Landennis, the meetings at the cove and the balls, I wouldn’t know how to choose my favourite moment. In fact, this review was one of the hardest I have had to write because there were too many things I wanted to talk about, and I ended up cutting many paragraphs because the review was getting too long.

I’m looking forward to read Mrs. Starnes next book as I am certain it will be just as good. Joana Starnes is, in my opinion, one of those writers with an innate talent who just cannot get it wrong, her books are always a turmoil of emotions and a pleasure to read, with something that is definitely an added value: a quality writing that is hard to see nowadays.

The Falmouth Connection did not disappoint and I recommend it to any reader looking for a quality book to read.

Next month I will have the chance to meet with Joana Starnes for the first time. I’m looking forward to it as it’s not every day we have the opportunity to meet with one of our favourite authors 🙂

I am so happy with this encounter that I decided to share my good fortune with you. So, we will offer a personalised signed paperback copy of The Falmouth Connection to one reader of From Pemberley to Milton.

All you have to do to be contemplated is comment this post. Let us know what you think of The Falmouth Connection or Mrs. Starnes other books, we are looking forward to hear from you.

The giveaway is international and is open until the 3rd of May. The winner will be announced on the 5th of May in this blog.

91 responses to “The Falmouth Connection Review & Giveaway”

Great review Rita. This was the first of Joana’s books that I bought and I absolutely loved it. So much so that I bought all her others. I was a little wary of The Unthinkable Triangle cos I don’t like to think of Elizabeth with anyone else but I read the reviews and decided to give it a go and I’m so happy I did as it was well up to her usual standard. The Falmouth Connection almost had me crying for poor Darcy. Great book and obviously please don’t enter me in the giveaway.

Thanks so much, Glynis for the wonderful words and all your support! So glad you liked TUT, I remember you saying you approached with caution 😉 but it’s great to hear I haven’t put you off. I’m mean to Darcy in TFC too, but nothing like TUT, poor man. That’s OK, I’m moving on, it’s open season on being mean to Elizabeth in my next 2, hope you agree. Huge thanks for stopping by to read and comment, it means an awful lot. All the best!

Thank you so much Glynis! My first from Joana Starnes was The Subsequent Proposal, and like you I was hooked. I bought all her books after that except From This Day Forward, which is now on my TBR pile along with her latest release Miss Darcy’s Companion. Once again, thank you for visiting :)))

Thanks, Rita, for the amazing review, I’m absolutely speechless!
I’m over the moon that you liked TFC and your wonderful review just made my day! Can’t wait for us to meet face to face, it’s going to be fantastic!!

I have read The Falmouth Connection,savoured each and every word, absolutely adored it and naturally gave it 5*.

Starnes is a marvellous storyteller. Her sheer ability to write beautifully crafted storylines and real life characters mean that we,as readers,have a unique opportunity to witness a love story unfold before our very eyes.

We are privy to their inner thoughts and to have this vantage point allows us to see their romance blossom, to understand how and when they started to fall in love and then see their relationship develop.

The reader is closeted,taken under Starnes’ wing and enveloped in such a sense of security that ensures us that no matter the trials and tribulations faced by ODC,their HEA (and ours!!), is assured!

I echo everything you’ve written about this book Rita and can only recommend that all Austen fans treat themselves to a Starnes.

I must ask if you’ve read the equally compelling The Unthinkable Triangle,penned by the same author??? Now that book is…..but that’s a story for another day.

Thanks ever so much for the wonderful words, Mary, I’m overwhelmed! So happy that you like my writing style, with me dwelling on every thought that makes them fall in love.

It’s quite tricky sometimes because we live in CGI times, when pretty much all TV entertainment is high octane. The hero/heroine carry the day even if trucks explode all around on a regular basis and not a piece of debris hits them. Whereas, as someone said a while back and I thought it was hilarious, in JA’s time yes, there was a war, but it was way out there. In their quiet little village the highlight of excitement was a new neighbour settling in, or the pigs getting into the garden, or the beer turning sour 😀

I’d like to write high octane stories and I might get around to that, but not in the next book or two. I’ve moved to living in Elizabeth’s head rather than Darcy’s, and I’m 100% with Rita & Claudine, she should get a hard time for a change, and about time too 🙂

Wow! Mary I could not imagine a better description of Joana Starnes stories and writing style than the one you just wrote! You’ve said it all in the most truthful and insightful way! It was a true pleasure reading your comment!
Yes, I also read TUT and loved it!! The depth of Darcy’s feelings in that book were almost overwhelming, it still amazes me how Joana Starnes is able to transmit so much emotion with her words.
I’ve also reviewed it, if you’re interested, here’s the link 🙂https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpress.com/2015/10/26/the-unthinkable-triangle/
Oh, and I’m always willing to talk about Joana Starnes books :)))
Thank you so much for your comment, I loved reading it so much! You should write reviews as well, you are so good at describing why you love a book! So, again, thank you!

I am such a slug. I have two of her books on my e-shelf and I’ve read so many fantastic favorable reviews. I need to get cracking especially after reading what you said about this story. I love the idea that Darcy was able to show Lizzy a different side of himself early on and helps her re-think what she thought she knew about him. But of course, it’s nice to know that there is still conflict to overcome later. 🙂

That is so cool that you get to meet up with Joana. She has such a warm and friendly presence on line when I see her FB posts. I know you gals will have fun.

Thanks, Sophia Rose, I hope you’ll like them. I’m so bad, either I devour 1 JAFF / day or I get my head under the virtual bonnet and don’t come out for months. You’re so kind about my online presence, hit and miss as I am 🙂 I’m really looking forward to meeting Rita face to face, it’s going to be wonderful. So amazing how we make friends across hundreds of miles in our JAFF world and it feels like we’ve known them forever.

I have also loved and admired all of Joana’s books. Not only does she have a beautiful writing style that flows in such a natural manner, her in-depth knowledge of the English countryside, as well as its cities, sets her variations apart when one examines the details and the settings she incorporates in her work. Lovely review of an unforgettable story.

Huge thanks, Claudine, for the wonderful comment and all your support! I admit I’m tempted to include little things I come across in my trips and I’m so glad that you feel they enhance the story. With TFC it was more than that, the whole story was inspired by beautiful Cornwall, by the romantic gardens at Cotehele and all those beaches that must have seen plenty of smugglers in their time. I’m so glad you liked it, and I hope one day I might have a chance to meet up face to face with you as well.
Have a great weekend!

Thanks, Caitlin, so glad you liked it!! I was in one of my ‘redeeming Lydia’ moments when I wrote TFC, I thought she’s just a teenager, of course she’s mouthy and uncouth if mummy is. And besides we’ve seen plenty of teenagers that grow up to be pretty nice people (with mine, I can only live & hope 😀 )

So kind of you to stop by! Can’t wait for more books from you, I LOVE your style!

Thank you Caitlin! This is definitely one of my favorite JAFF books, it has everything a book needs to have to be brilliant 🙂 I felt the same thing with Ardently, so I’m looking forward to read your new book :)))

I really enjoyed this book as well. I like who Colonel Fitzwilliam ends up with! I thought that was hilarious! My first book of Joana’s was ‘From This Day Forward’ and from there I was hooked. Thank you for the giveaway as I would love to win a signed copy of a ‘real’ book! Enjoy your visit!

Yes, I went on a weird track there, didn’t I, with the dear Colonel’s love life 😉 . What he suffers at my hands!!
I’m so happy to hear you liked my books since FTDF, it’s wonderful to hear that. Thanks for your support, much appreciated, and best of luck in winning this one!

Thank you Carole! I also liked Col. Fitzwilliam’s choice of wife, but I confess I would prefer that she was Portuguese 🙂 Maybe some day Mrs. Starnes humors me and adds a Portuguese character to her books :)))

Awwww Anji 🙂
Hope you’ll make it to Cotehele one day, it’s all on them, such an amazingly romantic setting!!!! Fantastic plants, lots of unusual species all over the place and nooks under overhanging greenery, just perfect for midnight kisses. Wonderful to hear I got you melting into a puddle, couldn’t ask for more 😉
Looking forward to meet face to face with you too someday soon, fingers crossed. Hope we can do that. Hugs and all the best!

Wonderful review! I went and read some of the other reviews as well and picked out the words us: excellent, lots of fun, 5 stars, loved it, emotions, play, masterly,.. You can not not want to read it. So thank you for this wonderful chance to at least have a chance to do so ❤ I've always enjoyed a good historical romance. And regency, yay!

Every single time you review a book by Joanna Starnes, my to read/buy list grows. And my anticipation too! I do really enjoy her books from what I’ve read so far and I believe you are absolutely right when you say that her writing is of a nowadays seldom seen quality. It grips me to the pages! 🙂

Thanks so much for your kind words, much appreciated! I’m over the moon that you like my books and I hope you’ll like this one too. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for reading & commenting on Rita’s ever so kind review.

Hello! Entering the giveaway, fingers crossed! As you know, I’m new to fanfic reading, but your glowing review has certainly piqued my curiosity – meeting in a cove sounds promising! I rely on your guidance, Rita, to point me to the best fanfic out there, and I hope to get to read some published fanfic soon!

I’m sure you in particular would enjoy immensely Joana Starnes books Apala. She has a great knowledge of regency and English landscape that I know you would appreciate apart from the writing of course. This is an author I definitely recommend to you 🙂

Wonderful to hear that, Becky 🙂 Hope you’ll like it. Those TBR lists, they keep growing and growing, every time I read 1 I add 15 (thank goodness for all the JAFF out there!!) Best of luck and thanks for stopping by to read Rita’s great review!

With a review like that, how could anybody not place this title on their top-five list of “Must Read” books? Well I certainly have. Winning a copy would be nice too! Many thanks for offering a giveaway. Looking forward to notes on your meeting with the author.

I’ve had this book on my wish list for a while just haven’t got round to it yet. I read a review of it on Austenesquereviews and thought it sounded really really good. I also love books set in Cornwall. I’d love to win it so fingers crossed.

Hi, Arjanne. So happy to hear you liked The Unthinkable Triangle, I was really too mean to poor Mr Darcy there, so keen to give him and Elizabeth lots of time together, with cruel disregard for his feelings in the process 🙂

He’s getting a better treatment in The Falmouth Connection and there’s a spot of cloak-and-dagger too, so I hope you’ll enjoy that variation as well. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for taking part!

Thanks for stopping by to read Rita’s wonderful review, Maria. I hope you’ll enjoy The Falmouth Connection if you win it, and The Subsequent Proposal too. Thanks for the kind words and best of luck in the givewaway!

Thanks for the lovely comment, Amanda, I think you might like this Mrs Bennet and with any luck, my other Mrs Bennets too. Maybe I’m too soft on her in my portrayals, but I can’t quite see her as a harsh and deliberately unkind or cruel mother. Pretty dense and extremely embarrassing, yes. Rather selfish – that too. But also practical and in touch with reality, much more so than her charming but irresponsible husband. What fate other than marriage can genteel young ladies aspire to, and the higher up the social scale, the better? I really feel sorry for her, to have the threat of the entail hanging over her head and not realise that she’s one of the greatest obstacles in her daughters making a good marriage. Which is probably one of the reasons i was even kinder to her than usual in The Falmouth Connection and I hope you’ll like that. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for taking part!

This Mrs. Bennet was true to herself Amanda, but she was shown from a different perspective, and that is what I loved. This time we got to see events unfold under her perspective (is a few scenes of course), and that was very well delivered, I loved it 🙂

Personally, I loved ‘The Falmouth Connection.’ I don’t have to have canon when I buy a P&P variation. What I look for is a well written story with a good plot whether vagary, canon or whatever. This book was a delight to read because it was so different from any of the others I’d read, and that was refreshingly different.

And after reading this great review, I’m going back and read it again since it’s been a while. See ya.’

Thank you Gianna! I usually prefer books closer to canon, but I agree with you, it is the writing that will make me love a book or not. And it is good to read different plots once in a while, as well as plots centered in other characters 🙂 It is refreshing and sometimes we need that change. Thanks for your inputs and good reading 🙂

Oh I agree with everything you said about the Falmouth Connection as well as Joana’s unique gifts as an author. Her specialty seems to be not only expressing, but invoking deep, intense, after overwhelming emotion in the reader! So amazing! Do not enter me in the giveaway, I own all her books already! Congrats Joana on such beautiful book! I eagerly await your next one . . . and the on after that . . and the one after that!

I was pretty sure I wanted to read this before your review and now after reading it I am positive! This looks great and it would be interesting to see the proposal from a different perspective 🙂 Thank you for your wonderful review!

Your review is spot on! Joana Starnes is one of my 3 favorite JAFF writers, and Falmouth connection is my favorite of hers. I love the chemistry that always builds between Darcy and Lizzy, and her unique settings. I am anticipating her next book to be just as wonderful and can’t wait for it!

I love your review so much I can’t wait to read the book. I love the sizzle between Darcy and Lizzie and since this focuses on that I’m even more excited to read it. If I don’t win I’ll happily purchase one myself. Have fun meeting.

I loved this book, I have the ebook but would love a paperback too! Joanna Starnes is an amazing writer infusing angst filled moments with swoon worthy ones that just tugs at your heartstrings. You can’t but fall in love with her Darcy and Elizabeth.

How exciting that you’ll be meeting each other! Hope you have a wonderful visit.

I loved this book. The scenes between Elizabeth and Darcy were beautifully written. I found myself lost in the settings that were created. I would love to have the paperback. There is nothing better than holding a good book.